Professor Breithardt designated as new competence network spokesman

At an Executive Board meeting of the Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects (KN AHF) on 13 June 2008, Professor Peter E. Lange resigned from office as the network’s spokesman. His duties will be taken over in an acting capacity by the chairman of the Executive Board, Professor Günter Breithardt from the University Hospital of Münster. Professor Angelika Lindinger of the University Children’s Hospital in Homburg/Saar was elected as the new deputy chair of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board wishes to thank Professor Lange for his steadfast, foresighted work during the planning and early operational stages of this national competence network, whose activities he has led since 2003. Under his leadership, the competence network has evolved into a major resource for research in the field of congenital heart defects and won the respect of the international research community. The network’s policy of bringing together expertise in the various branches of paediatric cardiology, general cardiology and heart surgery, and inviting the participation of patient interest groups, has proven to be a viable approach worthy of emulation. The competence network aims to perpetuate this work under the guidance of the new management team, enabling medical practitioners, researchers, patients and their families to benefit in full measure from the network’s services.

In order to establish a sustainable basis for the competence network’s future activities, a registered non-profit association (e.V.) was created in May 2008. The Executive Board has set itself the task of assessing various proposed optimised structures for the competence network and the associated National Register for Congenital Heart Defects in the course of the coming weeks and months. The Executive Board is determined to obtain grants for a third funding period starting in spring 2009, with the active support of its members. To achieve this objective, the members of the competence network will be asked to play a greater role in decision-making processes. One of the planned measures is to offer a seat on the Executive Board to additional representatives of specific projects.